In order to get appointed as a Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executive (MMDCE) in the Akufo-Addo government, loyalty to the party is key, the acting General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Boadu, has said.
“Loyalty is key in this arrangement and it is one of the main criteria that will be used,” he mentioned in an interview on ‘Morning Starr’ on Tuesday.
He, however, added that there are other considerations that are also “important criteria” depending on the localities in question, noting that tribal, ethnicity and gender balancing are imperative.
Reacting to the mayhem that characterised portions of the country regarding the appointments of MMDCEs, Mr Boadu warned that the president and the party will resist any attempt to stampede due diligence in the appointment of the MMDCEs.
Tension has been brewing among members of the governing NPP over the choice of candidates to occupy the vacant MMDCEs positions nationwide—Tema East Branch of the party is a typical case.
A section of the executives led by the constituency chairman, Nene Ofoe Teye, accused the regional chairman and the Greater Regional Minister-designate, Mr Ishmael Ashitey, of imposing his personal choice as candidate for the position of MCE in Tema.
Answering a question to that effect, Mr Boadu urged everybody that has any concern to address it to the party office. He said the concerns would be forwarded to the appropriate offices to ensure that they are effectively addressed.
He observed that the party’s role in the appointment process is to help the president take a decision, saying, “we are not the ones making the decisions and I don’t think anybody apart from the president can insist that he has a right to a particular position, especially MMDCEs in this context.”
In view of this, he urged that people’s expectation and “exaggeration” of their importance must not be allowed to interfere with the appointment process.
He said the NPP was not mandated by Ghanaians during electioneering last year to come and jostle for positions but to ensure economic emancipation.
“Is that the reason why we are here?” he asked rhetorically of the fight for MMDCEs positions—answering that “no, it is not…the reason is to ensure that the Ghanaian people have value for their money.”
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